stephan pfister deep dive personal v disk
TRANSCRIPT
Deep Dive on Personal vDisk
Stephan Pfister Conapro GmbH, Zug
Jozsef Rozsahegyi Conapro GmbH, Zug
Agenda
• Personal vDisk (PVD) overview
• Install and Config
• The disk in Personal vDisk
• Technical Internals
• Advanced Config
• Troubleshooting and Support
Personal vDisk Overview
VDI Desktop Models – Pooled Desktops
4
No personalization
Poor user acceptance
Limited scope/user base
Reduced storage requirements
Centralized management
Uptime & predictability
Common Base Image
Operating System
BASE / PARENT VM
VDI Desktop Models – Assigned Desktops
5
Increased storage
High per user cost
Increased management overhead
Complex and unique base images
Highly personalized for users
Increased user acceptance
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
Base Image
Operating System
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
Base Image
Operating System
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
Base Image
Operating System
VM1 VM2 VM3
Citrix Personal vDisk
6
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
User Profile & Settings
------------- Departmental Applications
------------- User Installed Applications
------------- Local Peripherals
PVD 1 PVD 2 PVD 3
Enterprise scope
Highly personalized for users
Increased user acceptance
Reduced infrastructure reqs.
Centralized management
Uptime & predictability
Common Base Image
Operating System
BASE PARENT VM
1. Common Base Setup
» Install OS, common apps and VDA in base VM
» Create VM pool and entitle
Operating System
2. User Access
» Login through Xen Desktop Client
» PVD assigned on first login
» Locally administered dept. apps
» User installed apps
» Streamed apps
3. Image Update
» Update base VM without affecting any user personalization
Common Base Image
User’s Workspace
Delivering and Managing the PvD Desktop
Are PvD enabled desktops for everyone?
• Users needing control and personalization beyond a roaming profile
○ Today many opt for dedicated which is a poor on mgt and storage cost model
• A means to manage app sets beyond the base image
• Blindly deploying PvD as the default desktop could be costly
○ Over delivering on personalization capabilities will come at infrastructure costs
○ You don’t need to provide call center employees a PvD enabled desktop
Installation and Configuration
Install
10
• New option in meta-installer (VDA) to
‘enable’ PvD
• Installs no matter selection
○ Disabled means PvD Service will be
running but will remain idle
○ Enable later by running inventory
• You cannot disable once enabled
○ Would need to revert to a snapshot when
PvD was disabled
What is installed
11
Program Data
12
Creating Machines
13
Host Setup
14
PvS XenDesktop Wizard
15
Using MCS
16
Inventory Reminder
• Shutdown/Reboot
○ Windows 7 – click cancel when prompted and update PvD inventory
Live Demo
18
The User Disk (PvD)
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PvD – The User’s Disk
• PvDs are created and attached by Studio, ViaB and PvS wizards
• They are formatted during first PvD boot
• \UserData.v2.vhd (located on the root of the PvD)
○ Contain everything not in the user’s profile (aka not in c:\users)
○ Sized according to the allocation split (default is 50/50)
○ A .thick_provision sparse file exists to display the correct amount of free space to user
The P: Drive …
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Hidden and captures all machine state (aka data not in c:/users) – Merged as c: drive
PvD
PvD Factory Reset
• Separating the user profile area from the
application area allows the App VHD to be
deleted and profile saved
• We call this “Factory Reset, and is available in
Desktop Director
Profile App VHD
PvD
PvD Allocation Split (v5.6)
• Separates the user profile data from the application data
Profile App VHD
PUD
PvD Allocation Splits (v5.6)
• Different allocation splits can be used
• For example …
Profile (4.5GB)
App VHD (10.5GB)
15GB PvD with 30/70% ratio …
NEW: Dynamic Allocation (v5.6.5+)
• Dynamically adjusting free space as needed
• For example …
NEW: Dynamic Allocation (v5.6.5+)
• As free space is reduced on one side, will shift space on a reboot
• Based on a free space threshold (configurable)
• For example …
App VHD grows into any unused profile space,
until threshold reached
PUD
PvD Expansion
• Either expand on the hypervisor console …
○ Or use the PoSH script
• For example …
Profile (5GB) App VHD (5GB)
PvD increased to 15GB …
PUD
PvD Expansion
• VHDs will adhere to allocation ratio on PvD when resizing …
• For example …
Profile (7.5GB) App VHD (7.5GB)
50/50 split preserves desired allocation ratio
Machine Creation Services with PvD adds PVDisk
Virtual Desktop 1
VHD Chain
Storage Subsystem
Diff Disk ID Disk
Personal vDisk • This part is seen by the user as Drive P:\
• Used for USERDATA e.g. My Documents
• Free space is the split allocation
• This part is hidden from user
• Merged with the Diff Disk • Seen by user as Drive C:\ • E.g. Installed apps • PVDisk auto-created during
catalog creation by copying PvD template from Base VM
• 10GB by default with 50 / 50 split for User Data / App Data
Windows 7 Master
Provisioning Services with PvD
Streamed Desktop 1
Streamed vDisk
Storage Subsystem
Streamed
vDisk
PVS Write
Cache
Personal vDisk • This part is seen by the user as Drive P:\
• Used for USERDATA e.g. My Documents
• Free space is the split allocation
• This part is hidden from user
• Merged with the Diff Disk • Seen by user as Drive C:\ • E.g. Installed apps • PVDisk is auto-created during
catalog creation by copying PvD template from Base VM
• 10GB by default with 50 / 50 split for User Data / App Data
Windows 7 Master